Jon Jones is embracing his inner heel.
For so long, the former UFC light heavyweight champion put forward a nice guy image but, following a series of indiscretions outside of the Octagon, that didn’t really ring true.
A hit-and-run incident that injured a pregnant woman, an arrest for DUI, cocaine use and a year-long suspension after he tested positive for a banned substance all stripped away the veneer of Jones’ image of a hardworking, God-fearing professional.
And he couldn’t seem to care less.
INTENSE!! Don't miss @dc_mma vs. @JonnyBones at #UFC214 only on PPV!! pic.twitter.com/QqVQji3f92
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2017
Jones went into full heel mode on Wednesday night, just days ahead of his grudge rematch with Daniel Cormier.
In the final press conference before UFC 214, Jones and Cormier took the stage in California for one last promotional push for their light heavyweight title fight.
Reporters lined up to ask questions of both halves of arguably the fiercest rivalry in MMA history but one journalist in attendance found out that he would not be getting a quote from ‘Bones’.
Luke Thomas of MMA Fighting and MMA on Sirius XM politely asked Jones about how he looks back on his last decade in the fight game and he was hit with more shade than you can possibly fathom.
Saved for future use @lthomasnews pic.twitter.com/XynbcL4CQH
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) July 26, 2017
“I don’t really like you, Luke. So I’m not going to answer your question,” Jones responded.
For a fighter to publicly shoot down a reporter in the above fashion, you would imagine that there would be good reason for the animosity that exists.
But Thomas has since revealed that he’s not really all that sure why Jones is not a fan of his.
https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmrush/luke-thomas-reacts-to-the-jon-jones-question-denial-at-the-ufc-214-presser
“I could not be more honest when I say this but I literally have no idea (why he doesn’t like me),” Thomas said on his radio show after the press conference.
“I could not possibly tell you what it is. I don’t know.”
